Knitting-machine.



J. S. CRANE.

K NITTING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNI: 1e, 1904.

1,027,034. Patented May 21, 1912.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,mhh-m' Hymn //Q' Ammer J. S.GRANE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIoATIoN mlm :um: 1e. 1904.

1 ,027,034. Patented May 21,1912.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` y WITNESSES.' INI/ENTOR v Afro/mfr J. S. CRANE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION rILnn JUNI: 1a, 1904.

1,027,034. Patented May 21, 1912.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 3.`

` J. s. cRANE.-

KNITTING MACHINE.

APYLIOATION FILED JUNE 16,

Patented May 21, 1912.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- WITNESSES:

J. s. CRANE. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 18, 1904.

1,027,034. Patented May 21, 1912.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR f Je/z JY. fra/u /o Arm/mfr J. s. CRANE. i KNITTING MAOHINB. APPLICATION FILED {UNI} 18, 1804.

Patented May 21, 1912.

9 SHEETS-SHEET '6.

J. S.'CRANE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUIHI 16, 1904.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

Patented May 21, 1912..

J. s. CRANE.V

. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIONIILBD .TUNE 16, 1904.

1,027,034. Patented May 21, 1912.

0 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

v Arron/ver J. S. CRANE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

v Arrmornon 211.1111 Juul: 1a, 1904.

1 027,034, 4 Patented May 21, 1912.

'n sums-'sum s.

@yad .21. .ze

'A ze 18 I l @wat Y a I8 aga I WITNESSES: INVENTUR TTURNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

JOHN S. CRANE, F LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1ASSI'GNOIR, TO RANE MANUFACl TUBING coMPANY, HAMPSHIRE.

or marroni', NEW HAMPSHIRE; A' conr'oaATIoN or NEW mimmo-MACHINE.-

specification Letters Patent.

Patented-May 21, 1,912.,

Application led June 18, 1,904.. ySerial No. 212,817.

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be itknown that I, JoHN'S.

' lcitizen of the United Sta-tes, .residing Vin Lakeport, in the city of Laconiafcpounty of Belknap, and State of New Hampshire, have invented certam new and useful Improve-4 ments in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention accomplishes a twofold end: 1) The number and complexity of parts of aknitting machine are ma-terially reduced while its efficiency is increased; and (2) the well-known knitting machine employingl spring-bearded needles is enabled to produce a fabric composed of two species of yarn, the surfaces of the fabric presenting yarn of one variety while the body of the fabric is formed of the other. Both of these attainments are of great value to the art to which they relate; the first because it lessens the liability of the operating machine to in` terruption occasioned by the failure of its many and intricate parts properly to cooperate; and the second because greatly simfeed. Fi

plified devices are applied to the production of 'a fabric which hitherto has been impossible of production except by the u se of the most complicated mechanisms.

My improvements may be applied to different types of knitting machines. They will be shown herewith as embodied in an independent needle circular dial ,knitting machine. The use of my improvements upon machines of another character might necessitate certain alterations inthe specific forms shown in the presentl drawings, but such alterations would entail mere mechanical skill and would in no way impair the extent of my invention asincluding such use.

To promote brevity, only such parts as are necessary to be shown in connection with thepresent improvements will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined yarn-guide and yarn` g. 2 is a horizontal section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in. section, alongthe line 3--3 of Fig. 1.. Fig. 4 is a plan view of t-he main-needl'presser. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same showing the position of the CRANE, 4a

of the same.` Fig. 9is a side-'elevation of supporting base. Fig." 10 is a plan view" of the same. Fig. `11 is a side elevation of the parts shown in the foregoing figures, assembled in their proper relations. Fig. 12 is' an end elevation-of the same. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a portion of the knitting machine, certain parts being broken away to disclose the cams which actuate the ribbing needles. Fig. 15 is a vertical section, along the line 15-15 of Fig.' 14. Fig. 16 is a vertical section of a portion of the knitting machine along the line 16416 of Fig. 14. Fig. 17 is a front elevationof that partof the machine shown in Fig. 14, certain parts being omitted to disclose the cams which actuate the main needles. Fig.l 18 is a vertical section of the machine showin the use of a toothed feedwheel. Fig. 1.9 1s a s'ide elevation of one of the slidinflr blades em loyed in that type ofV feed-wheell shown in llTig. 20. Fig.'20 is a -vertical section of the machine, Asimilar to that of Fig. 187 showing a feed-wheel employing sliding blades. Fig. 21 is a horizontal section of the feed Wheel, showing the cams which cause the reci` rocation of the sliding blades shown in Flg. 19. Fig. 22 is an end elevation of a yarn-guide con-4 venient-ly employed yin connection with the feed-wheels shown in Figs. 18 and 20. Fig. 23 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 24; is a section along the line 24-24 of Fig. 22. Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic horizontal section of several main needles showing the manner ot'` sinking yarn between said needles. Fig. 26 is a diagrammatic horizontal section of several main needles showin of laying yarn against the s anks of said needles, as distinguished from sinking the` yarn therebetween. Fig. 27 is 'a diagrammatic front elevation ofV several of the main lneedles showing the direction of travel of two strands of yarn. Fig. 28 is a diagram- 4matic front elevation of the combined yarnguide and yarn-feed, shown in Fig. 1 showmg the manner 1n which yarn is laid against the main needles.' Fig. 29 is a dia rammatic Y plan'view of a portion of the mac ine showmg the manner in which two strands of -arn are laid upon the ribbing' needles.

igs. 30 to 37 are diagrammatic sectional views, along successive' radial planes of the the manner machine, showing the knitting operation in been fully described.

y yneedles,

In the varlous figures, a a are the main and b b are the ribbing needles, both being spring or beard needles. The needles a a, as shown, are-carried upon a rotating cylinder 1, upon the periphery of which they are attached in such manner as to permit them to reciprocate vertically under the influence of the cam surfaces 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, (see Fig. 17) which engage with the projecting nibs 2. As shown, these needles a a are conveniently equipped with jacks in which the needle shanks are secured and which'bear projecting nibs 2, and belovsT the 1nibs are feet of reduced width as compared with the width of the nibs. The needles .a a are maintained in position, against the periphery of the cylinder, in part by an elastic band 9 which encircles them near the top ofthe cylinder. While they are in engagernent with ,their cams, the lower ends of these needles a a are held in place against the cylinder 1 by the side faces of the cam plates L(see Figs. 16 and 18). When they have left the cams, their lower ends or reduced feet are held in place against the cylinder by the retainer 10 shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 17. This retainer 10 is conveniently given the form of a flat plate, secured to the fixed bed plate of the machine, which embraces the series of feet of the needle jacks at their lowerrnost ends between ad'- jacent knitting points. 4This is a highlyv effective arrangement which insures the proper carriage of the needles by the cylinder, avoids accidental displacement and breakage of needles, andv at the same time permits the easy removal and replacement of injured needles, which may be effected by simply lifting a needle above the retainer 10, when opposite a vacancy between cams,

and then drawing it out from underl the spring band 9. The ribbing needles b b are carried by the rotating dial 11 and are adapted to be reciprocated radially on said dial by cams 12, 13, 14, 15, 16-and 17 (Fig. 14) which are mounted upon (and beneath) a normally stationary cam or capplate 18 which is superimposed above the dial 11,

v and supported in any convenient manner.

The machine is preferably equipped with y a plurality both of yarn feeds and of needle actuating devices, but since these .several sets of'mechanisms are just alike it. will suffice to describe a single set. The general disposit1on of these several sets of mechanisms is suiiciently well-known to demand no dise cussion.

' Conveniently situated upon the bed-plate of the machine areas many of the posts c as there are sets of knitting cams. Each post 0 carries the combined yarn-guide and yarnfeed A, the presser B and main needle guard C. The yarn-guide and yarn-feed A is conveniently formed of two parts, a body d, comprising a sleeve adapted to lit over the post 0, and a finger c one end of which is longitudinally adjustable in a slideway in the body d (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) by means of the slot f and the shoulder screw g. The outer end of the finger e, constituting the sol terminal of the yarn feed, is provided with an oblique beveled surface h and a communicating end bevel When the guide A is. in its proper position relative to the needle a, 0;, the spring beard of each of said needles, during a part of its descending course actuated by the draw-in cam4, will bite over the upper edge ofthe bevel i, being thereby distended for an instant (see Figs 1, 11, 12, 13 and 16). The finger e, is equipped with two inleading eyes y" and k, vwhich receive and guide the yarns from their source to their proper engagement with the needles a. a. Either of the eyes j, 7c, may be used alone whenv it is desired to knit from a single strand of yarn. The sleeve d bears a screw 19 whereby it may be secured against motion on 'thepost c.

The presser B may be of any convenient shape and has preferably a handle portion Z and a pressing surface m (see Figs. 4, 5

and 6). The pressing surface m is designed topresent a polished curved surface to t-he beard of a descending needle a, as shown in Figs. 6 and 14, and gradually to close the beard of said needle during its descent. As

shall be shown presently the presser B exerts' a yielding pressure of sufficient strength to close the beard of the needle, but which yields to irregular conformations inthe needles and obviates the nice adjustment necessary in the use of a rigid presserwheel such as is commonly employed. The presser- B bears also a sleeve n which fits easily on the post c and seats, at its lowerl extremity, upon a shoulder 20 of the said post.

The main needle guard C comprises a flat plate 0 anda sleevep (see Figs. 7 and 8). A

spring g, which actuates the yielding presser B, is conveniently secured -at a point on'4 vthe said plate o by means of a screw post and lock-nut whereby the tension pf the lspring may be varied at will. The sleeve p is easily movable upon the post c and may be secured 1n position by' any convenient means, suh

.as t-he set-screw 21 shown in Figs. 8 and 11.

When the main needle guardC is in its proper. adjustment the straight edge'of the plate o will be positioned in close proximity to the line of travel of the mainneedles a (see Figs. 13 and 14), and will afford support for the said 'main needles against the strain upon them exerted through the yarn by the ribbing needles b during their outward progress. If a tight stitch, a bunch or a tangle should occur in the yarn, the outward movement of the ribbing needles would tend to drag the yarn with them, and consequently to bend the main needles outwardly away from the cylinder, andthe strength of the elast-ic band 9 would probably not be sufficient to overcome this tendency. The main needle guard C, however, maintains the main needles in their roper positions, thereby insuring the drawing of uniform stitches, and preventing injury to the needles.

The yarn guide A and the guard C may be Withdrawn from engagement in the operation of the machine by loosening the screws 19 and 21 in the sleeves (l and p, respectively,

and revolving them upon the post c until they have swung clear of the reciprocating needles. The presser B may4 be disengaged by freeing ity from the spring g and rotating -it upon the post c. The handle portion Z supplies to the operator means for so rotating the presser B. The above described parts, A, Bland C, may be withdrawn from engagement collectively by loosening the screw 22 and lrotating the post c in its base.

- before their discharge, another loop The facility with which the yarn-guide yand yarn-feed A, and the presser B, may be withdrawn from operation either singly or together is of importance. It is convenient to knitat a plural-ity of knitting points and frequently it may become desirable to render the knitting devices collectively inoperative at one of said points without interfering with the continuous operation at other points. Moreover, it is at times desirable toy remove from operation a single member of these devices at a'knitting point. This is true, for example, in knitting certain fabrics which are desired to be of different textures at different places. If the main needle presser at one knitting point be withdrawn from operation, wit-hout affecting the feed, the feed of the yarn at thatV point will continue -and successive` new loops will be formed on the needle Shanks. Thesel new loops will, however, not be discharged until the needles have been acted upon by the presser at the next knitting point, where, will have'been introduced andthe two together will form`a composite loop which 4will be cast off as one, thereby giving variety to the fabric. The present improved constructions and arrangements of parts accomplish the above indicated purposes elfectually and easily. w

` The post c is positioned ina block r of may be secured thereto as shown in Figs. 9,

10 and 12.

The above described parts are manifestly simple, effective, of durable construction, and easy vof introduction to or withdrawal from engagement with the knitting needles. They may be employed rin the production of fabric from a single yarn` or from two yarns of the same or different species or colors.

In knitting with the llnproved machine, yarn is led from a bobbin or other source, preferably through a sto motion detector (indicated at D, Fig. 16 thence through one ofthe eyes j, la, of the yarn-guide and yarn-feed A, as shown in Fig. 16. The way in which the yarn, issuing from` the yarnguide and yarn-feed A, is laid upon the4 main needles a, a, is of great importance. In the art to which the present lnventlon relates 1t has been a common practlce to mtroduce yarn to the main needles by t-hrust-- Thus the strands were given considerable slack and the yarn was subjected to strainswhich sometimes resulted in breakage, ospecially when tender or fine yarns were employed. By the present improved devices, however, it is possible to secure the proper engagement of the yarn by the main needles without recourse to the sinking operation.l The yarn, conductedby the yarn feed A to a point contiguous 4to the needles, is laid against the shanks of the said main needles a a (as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 25 and 30), and there retained until .it has been embraced by the needle beards. This end is accomplished in a convenient and simv ple manner by the combined yarn-guide and yarn-feed A, already described, which is shown with particular clearness in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and'so.

A signal advantage .is derived from this laying on of the yarn as distinguished from looping-in or sinking it between the main needles. The strain to which the yarn is subjected is small, permitting the use of fine soft yarns which otherwise would give trouble by frequent breakage. Moreover, needlesv of any desired fineness may be employ-ed and 'they may be positioned nearer together than would otherwise be expedient, since the strain upon them is greatly reduced, and since it is unnecessary to allow for the projection of sinkers' and yarn between them. Hence a fabric of very fine texture may be produced. It is readily apparent that this plan of yarn taking ,may be applied with equal advantage to machines employing coarse needles and knitting coarse yarns.

-The laying-on of the yarn, as .listinguished from slnking it between the main needles, is

- of importance in knitting. fabric from two means of the sinking operation described above,` (shown i-n diagram in Fig. in

. which each loop was formed by a single thrust of asinkery blade. .The projection of a sinker blade' between a pair of the main needles, bending in an entire loop ata single thrust, occasioned a sudden strain upon the yarn and caused it to take ameandering path in a plane substantially parallel to that of the dial 11. The subsequent positions of these loops (when about to be drawn through previously formed loops) was substantially perpendicular to their `original plane. Hence the strand of yarn, in this old sinking operation, was subjected first to a sudden strain in one direction, and then to a further strain, .in an entirely different direction, which was strongly resisted by the interengaging sinkers and main needles holding the yarn between them in its wind-- ing path (see Fig. 25). This was quite likely to stretch and injure, if not to break, the yarn, especially when tender or fine varieties werebeing knitted.

AIn accordance with the present invention the loops are formed by the passage of the main needles through thespaces between the ribbing needles after the yarn has been laid against the shanks of the main needles. The path of the yarn through the yarnguide A, until it meets the first ribbing needle, is in substantially a straight line 'with no material' bends therein, and the initial formation of a loop is by a pull of a main needle through the space between adjacent ribbing4 needles in a line not diverging materially from the direction in which the yarnis already traveling (see Figs. 26 and 27). Thus the strains on the yarn are applied gradually and the yarn is subjected to less friction by reason of having a directpath.

The foregoing steps in the knitting (i. e., (l) laying yarn against' the main needles, and, (2) loo'ping4 the yarn) are accomplished by the instrumentalities described above as .embodying this invention in the following manner. First to be considered is knitting from a single 'strand of yarn. As

the main needles a, a, rotate, carried by the cylinder l, their action begins when the nibs 2 of their jacks strikethe inclined throw-out cam-face of the plate 3. `Hereupon the needles gradually ascend until they reachv \the upper horizontal cam-face of the plate 3 (see Fig. 7 At this point, while the f main needles a a are at their extreme positions of upward movement, the introduction of the yarn begins'. The combined yarnguide and yarn-feed A is in position with its terminal close to the Shanks ofthe needles a a. The lower ends of the needle beards are at somelittle distance above the guide A (see Fig. 11). Yarn issues from onevof the eyes j, lc, upon theV inner. face` of the terminal e` of the guide A, and is thus i laid against the needle Shanks.' The continuous rotation of the cylinder l carries the needles beneath the draw-in cam 4, whereupon the beard of each needle, during its descent, bites over the bevel z' of the guide A and remains distended for an instant until it has descended far enough to embrace the strand of yarn (see Figs. l, I2 and 28). The beards of the needles should be normally distended to some extent from the shanks of the yneedles by their elasticity and if this distension could be relied upon in every instance the interengagement of needle and yarn'would probably occur in any case when the strand is presented ylose to the needle shank. It is convenient, however, vto have the needle bite over the bevel z' as abundant precaution against dropping or,

skipping a stitch should any needle fail properly to embrace the strand or strands of cluded by the biting over action of the beard on the bevel fi, since thereby the terminal e, bearing the yarn lon its inner face, is forcibly interposed between beard and shank as they descend, and remains interposed therebetween'until the needle has descended so low as to render impossible the escape of the yarn from -its beard. Being thus `caught by the beard of the descending needle the yarn is in` perfect engagement and is ready for thel looping operation which next takes place. Simultaneously with the upward projection of thel main needles l, a by the cam plate 3, the ribbing needles b -b have been thrust` outward, between appropriate pairs of the main needles, by the action of the'throw-out cam 12 (see Fig. 14).Y Hence when the main needles a, a occupy their eX- treme positions of upward travel, corresponding ribbing needles 6,' b. occupy their extreme positions of outward radial movement on the dial' 1l.` Those ribbing needles beneath the yarn-guide and yarn-feed. A rest upon and are supported by the support 23, having been protrude-d outwardly beyond the dial verge to such a distance that the yarn, when it is brought down by the descending main needles, will be laid upon the shanks of the ribbing needles back of the beards. In this position the. needles b b dwell during the next stage of the knitting.

Thus when the elongation of the yarn int-o loops takes place, the needles a, a are descending and the needles b, b have been projected outwardly to their extreme positions. The course Aof this looping may best be observed in profile in Figs. 33, 34 and 35, and in elevation in Fig. 27. Each of the main needles a, a in its descent laysthestrand of yarn upon the shank of the next adjacent ribbing needles b, Z) and, descending farther, begins to draw the said strand downward ybetween two ribbing needles, forming a loop in the yarn. The preceding main -needles u, a have at this point descended successively lower and lower each carrying down its loop `longer than that of the next following needle. In this manner each loop is drawn flown to its desired lengt-h by the gradual steady pull of a main needle. The draw-in cam 5 which actuates the downward movement .of the main needles is readily adjustable permitting the length of loop to be made to be determined to a nioety and to be altered at will. yThe pull on the yarn by successive main needles a, a during the looping, is at no time sudden or excessive as in the case of the sinking operation above referred to, but on the contrary increases slowly by slight gradations from zero Ito its maximum. As the yarn is pulled it slides easily over the polished shanks of the ribbing needles b, b and is subjected to minimum friction. It is readily apparent that the yarn is` led into the final steps of the knitting by a substantially direct path, securing thereby ldiminished resistance to easy manipulation by the needles (see Fig. 27). l The downward strain of the yarn upon the V ribbing needles is counteracted by a supporting platesuch as 23 (Fig. 1 which forms an effective brace an'd permits the employment of very fine needles which 'otherwise would be bent so far downward as 445 to yinterfere with proper knitting and to destro)7 uniformity in length of loops.

Previous to entering upon the above steps in the knitting operation, each main needle a, a bears upon its shank,'near to the dial verge, an old loop formed at the preceding knitting point. During a part of its descending course the beard of `each main needle is closed by the presser B (the point of the beard entering the usual groove or eye in the shank) and t-he new yarn inclosed within the beard is drawn down and through the old loop, on thel needle shank, which is cast off as the needle reaches its lowermost position (see Figs. 31 to 24). Similarly, each ribbing needle b, b carries an old loop. When the yarn has been drawn down between the ribbing needles, into loops of the proper length, said ribbing needles each bear two loops,` the old and the new, which arepseparated 'by a slight distance (see Fig. 34). Hereupon the draw-in cam 14 begins to act and the needles b, bretreat inwardly toward the center of the dial. when the point of the beard' of a rlbbing needle reaches a position intermediate between the old and the new. loops on the ribbing needle shank, said beard is presented to the action of the ribbing needle presser G (Figs. 17 and 35) which -incloses the new loop in the beard and permits it to be drawn through the old loop which is cast off as the needle progresses (see Figs. 35 and 36). The presser G may be of any suitable type and is preferably given the form of a wheel made transparent (as by being made of glass) so that the progress of the knitting may be observed therethrough. The newedge of the fabric, or fell may be conveniently pressed down within the cylinder, out of the way of the operating parts of the machine, by a fell-presser such.

as is shown at 24 in Fig. 37. The final V steps of the knitting which have not herein been described in detail are carried on in the manner set forth in the aforesaid companion application.

Hitherto the description has been conlined to a single use of the present improved devices, that of knitting from a single strand of yarn. It now becomes necessary to consider their application to the production of fabric from two species of yarn, one v'arietyl thereof being presented upon the surface of the fabric, the other forming the body. The simple and effective plan described a bove for laying the yarn against the main needles is important in this connection. In knitting from two strands it is desirable that the yarn be subjected to suicient strain to prevent slack, but on the other hand severe strain should be guarded against, especially when soft fine yarn is v being used. t As shown above the old way of sinking the yarn between the main needles exerted a considerable strain on the threads and at the same time allow-ed slack. These diiliculties are obvia-ted by the`present improved plan of laying on instead of sinking in the yarn. Thereby a slight strain is applied to the strands which is suiiicient for the 4purposes of the knitting but which is not great enough to stretch, break or in any way injure the yarn. As will be disclosed hereinafter, the'proper. adjustment of this strain has an important bearing upon the method whereby the yarn is laid upon the ribbing needlesA b, b.

A single alteration in the machine as described above contributes to the production thereupon of a fabric composed of two species of yarn oneof which is `presentedupon the surface of the fabric, the other forming the body. This alteration .consists in the addition, to the cams which actuate the reciprocation of the ribbing needles b, b,

desirable to employ this cam H in knittingfrom two strands of yarn, it is to be understood that such employment does not .in any way interfere with the use of the machine for knitting from a single s-trand` A machine having such a cam as the ldraw-inv cam H is equally well adapted to knit from one or from two strands.

For convenience in describing the production of the above indicated fabric from two different species of yarn, let it be supposed that one such yarn is of silk, lettered s, the other of cotton, lettered t, the silk being designed toform the surface of the fabric, the cotton the body. Each of the two strands is preferably led from its source through a stop-motion detector on its way to the combined yarn-guide and yarn-feed A. The silk yarn s is threaded through the lower eye j, the cotton t through the upper eye 7c. In the manner already described in connection with the single strand,' these two yarns are engaged by a descending main needle (see Fig. It is evident that the silk thread s will occupy a position in the hook of the needle a beneath the cotton strandt (see Fig. 31). Hence lin its descent the needle a will bring the silk thread s first into engagement with the shank of the appropriate ribbing needle b which has been protruded at the `proper moment by its actuating cams (see Fig. 32). At this point, when the lowermost strand s (the silk, in the hypothetical case) has been seated upon the ribbing needle, the preliminary draw-in cam H acts, withdrawing the needle a slight distance inwardly toward the center 'of-the dial 11. Concurrently the silk strand.

s resting thereupon is drawn back by friction (see Fig. 33). At this point the importance of a properly adjusted strain uponthe yarn becomes apparent. If the strain be too great nthe friction of the needle yb' upon the Vsilk strand s will not be great enough to Aovercomev said strain and drawl back the thread; and, similarly, if the strain be too 1 slight; the silk willnot rest against the needle shank with sufficient pressure to be drawn bac-k 'by friction. It has been found in actual operation that the yarn passing through the yarn guide A, coming fromv a free moving bobbin, is subjected to the right strain' for the effective 'operation of all the steps of knitting. When the descending needle a brings down the cotton strand t, it will be laid upon the ribbingv needle adjacent to and outside of the silk strand s. The preceding loop has, of course, been formed in the same manner and'is found to consist of .the cotton t and silk s, the former positioned outside the latter (see Fig. 34). The

ribbing needle bearing these loops, being further withdrawn by the act-ion of the draw-in cam 14, is subjected to the action of the presserI W, which depresscs the beard and incloses within it the new loop consist.- ing of the two strands (see Fig. The ribbing needle being further withdrawn, the old loop is discharged, in the well-known manner, (the silk strand s leaving last) to become a portion of the vcompleted fabric of which the 'successive silk strands forln the surface (see Fig. 36).

Other instrumentalities than those described above may be employed. The introduction of yarn by laying it on the main needles instead of sinking it between them, may be accomplished by fecd-wheels such as are employed in t-he modification shown in Figs. v18, 20 and 21.

Thefced-wheel E (Fig. 1S) is fast to a sleeve 26 which turns on a vertical bearing or post 27 constituting a part of the frame for the feed-wheel. This bearing 2T is radially adjustable with reference to the axis of the needle cylinder 1, as shown lat Fig. 18. Upon its upper face the wheel E bears an adjustablel circular plate u which carries the peripheral feed-teeth o. These teeth v are equipped with two thread-receiving grooves 25 whi'ch may be used separately in knittingfrom a single yarn, or concurrently in knit ting from two yarns. The feed wheel E is rotated through the instrumentality of a gear I which is secured in any convenient manner to the sleeve 26. This gear I meshes with the Shanks of the needleswa, so that as the spaces'between adjacent needles. The feed-teeth v are not projected between the needles a, 'a but approach them only near enough tolay on the yarn in the manner already described in connection with the com# bined yarn-guide and yarn-feed A. A main needle presser-wheel may conveniently be associated with the feed I wheel E in the manner shown at J, Fig. 18.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 20, and 21, a feed-wheel F-is mounted similarly7 to the wheel4 E, and comprises a series of blades w (one of which is shown in Fig. 19), which are arranged to revolve about a common center and to have a radial movement which causes them to approach and recede l they are' mounted to slide in radial grooves in the rotating wheel E and are reciprocated by stationary cams 28 and 29, which actupon the nibs ot' the blades (see Figs. 20 and 21). Thus as the rotation of the wheel F carriesI the blades around, they are maintained constantly under the influence of the cams 28 and 29 so that, as they approach the needles they are thrust radially outward and as they pass the needles they are withdrawn again. The cams 2S and 29 are so formed that the ends ot' the blades 1e, when they vhave been protruded at the proper moments, will lie in an arc o'f-a circle which is of slightly greater radius than that formed by the needle shanks.

Hence the ends of the protrudcd blades H2 will be in close proximity to the shanks of the'main needles a, o. Each blade w bears upon its outer edge two yarn receiving grooves 30, either of which may be used alone in knitting from a single strand of yarn, or which may be used concurrently in The cams V2Sl andv29 are so adjusted that the blades zr will be projected toward the spaces between the mam needles a, a but they are not thrust out far enough to extend into or beyond said spaces. The manner of rotating the Wheel F is conveniently similar to'that of the wheel E described above. When the cylinder 1 revolves the blades 'zu will be successively thrust out close tothe shanks of the needles a, a, bearing their strand or strands of yarn within their yarn-receiving grooves 30 and laying said yarn against the Shanks of said man1 needles a, o 1n the improved manner already described. The wheel F may for convenience bear a presser Wheel J, as shown in Fig.-20. .Yarn mayI be introduced to the yarn-receiving grooves in the above described feed-wheels E and F bya yarn-guide such as is shown at K in Figs. 22, 23 and 24. This guide K is equipped with two eyes, and v/ wh'ich receive and conduct t-he strand or strands of yarn to the feed-wheel. It is yconvenient to provide an obliquely disposed slot 31, 'entrant into each of said eyes, whereby yarn may be introduced without the inconvenience of threading through. The oblique trend'of the said slots 3l edectually prevents the yarn from slipping out when once drawn into the eyes. The guide K is conveniently secured to the feed-wheelvbearing 27, as shown in Figs. 18 and 20. The above described feed-wheels E and F, together with the guide K, may be used interchangeably for knitting with one or with two strands of yarn without necessitating any alteration whatever in theiry construction or adjustment. l

In the subjoined claims the employment- .of certain designating terms used in the preceding descrlption is to be regarded as matter of designation and not of limitation, sincel the forms and constructions of the several parts can be widely varied without departing from the principles of the invention. Likewise in the subjoined claims words denoting'direction and motion are to be regarded asY terms ot designation and not ot limitation, since it is obvious that relative movement is alone ot importance and that the particular `direction is due to the position in which the particular machine is placed.

I claim as my invention,-

1. A knitting machine having,'in combination, main spring bearded needles, ribbing spring bearded needles in a plane substantially at right angles to that of t-he main needles, knitting-cams for said sets of needles respectively, and a yarn-feed which lays the yarn against the shanks of the'main needles only below the points of their beards and above the plane of the ribbing needles and without looping it between said needles, the yarn being looped solely by the subsequent passage of the main needles between the ribbing needles.

2. A knitting machine having, in combination, main spring bearded needles and ribbing spring bearded needles in different planes substantially at right angles to each other, knitting-cams for said sets of needles respectively, and a yarn-feed having two inleading yarn eyes one above the other and both close to the Shanks of the main needles whereby the yams lare both laid one above the other against the Shanks of t-he main needles below the points of their beards, and are looped solely by the passage ofl the main needles through the spaces between the ribbing needles. l

3. A knitting machine having, in combination, main spring bearded needles, ribbing spring bearded needles in a plane crossing that of the main needles, knitting-cams for said sets of needles respectively, and a yarnfeed which lays the yarn against the Shanks of the main needles only below the points of their bea-rds and above the plane 'of the rib- "bing needles and without looping it between said needles, the yarn being looped solely by the subsequent passage of the main needles between the ribbing needles.

4. A knitting machine having, in combination, bearded needles, a carrier and knitting cams therefor, a stationaryyarn-feed, a. normally stationary presser beneath said yarn-feed, and a main needle support beneath said presser and in front of said main needles, said support holding said needles from movement' away from said carrier. l

5. A knitting machine having,v in combination, main bearded needles, ribbing needles; carriers and knitting cams therefor, respectively, a yarn-feed, a resser and a main needle support in front o Said main needles to support them during the advance of the ribbing needlesI and to hold them from movement away from their carrier.

G. il knitting machine having, in combination, main needles, ribbing needles, knit-A tingcams for said sets of needlesrespec 7 tively, a post, a stationary yarn-feed upon said post, a ylelding presser upon said post and beneath said yarn-feed, and a main needle support upon said-post and beneath said yielding presser;V

7 A'knitting machine having, in combination, main needles, ribbing needles, knitting cams for'said sets of needles respectively, a post, a yarn-feed upon said post, a main needle presser upon said post beneath said yarn-feed, and a main needle support upon said post beneath said presser.

8. A knitting machine having, in combination, main needles, ribbing needles, knitting cams for said sets of needles, respectively, a post, a normally stationary yarny feed uponsaid post, a yielding presser upon said post, said 'yarn-feed and said presser being susceptible of ready withdrawal from operation collectively by being rotated upon d said post.

9. A. knitting machine having, in combination, Ina-in spring bearded needles, ribbing needles, knitting .cams for said sets of needles respectively, a post, and a normally stationary yarn-feed upon said post, said yarn-feedl being drawal from operation by being swung hori'- zontally upon said post away from' said needles. i

10. A knitting machine having, in combination, main needles, ribbing needles, knitting cams for said sets of-needles respectively,- a yarn-feed, a post, a yielding presser upon said post, and a mainneedle support upon said post beneath said presser.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed L JOHN s. CRANE.

Witnesses: I W. L.. VooDwoR'rH, H. W. GORRELL.

susceptible of ready withmy name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 

